Dubuque, IA Animal Ordinances: Bird Protection (2026)

Dubuque City Code section 10-5B-7, titled Interfering With Animals, Fishing, prohibits any person from killing, trapping, teasing, annoying, disturbing, feeding or otherwise interfering with any bird, fowl or other animal within a city park, parkway, trail or open space, and separately bars robbing, injuring or destroying the nest of any bird or fowl anywhere in those areas. The same section carves out fishing as a permitted activity, but only at a listed set of waterfront spots such as A.Y. McDonald Park, Bee Branch Creek Greenway, Bissell Harbor, Heron Pond in Miller Riverview Park, the Port of Dubuque Marina and the 16th and 32nd Street detention basins, so the bird protection clause is not read to bar ordinary fishing at those approved locations.

The rule sits in article B of chapter 5, the general park conduct article, alongside neighboring sections banning throwing stones or missiles (10-5B-6), restricting access where a prohibitory sign is posted (10-5B-5), and requiring dogs and cats to stay leashed except in designated off-leash areas (10-5B-4). There is no stated exception in section 10-5B-7 for feeding birds, so the ban on feeding applies even to routine bread- or seed-feeding of waterfowl and songbirds in any Dubuque park, parkway, trail or open space.